Story by: Darby Fleenor/Contributor to RACE22.com

Radford, VA(July 21, 2010) -- Near the end of the USAR Pro Cup race a familiar black hauler pulls up to the pit gate. The fans begin to get restless as everyone notices it. Philip Morris has made his way back to Motor Mile. Some of the fans were excited and some of them, not so much. Morris returned to a mixed reaction from the crowd. He barely had time to unload his car and line up at the end of the 24 car field before the green flag would drop.

Mike Looney would start on the pole with Richard Boswell along side. Rusty Skewes, Derrick Lancaster and Brandon Dean would round out the top five. Tension and excitement filled the air as everyone was waiting to see what was going to happen with Morris lined up at the back of the field. The green flag drops to kick off the 150 lap feature. Looney quickly grabbed the lead and began to set the pace. Everyone else pretty much fell in single file except for Tommy Lemons, Jr., who was battling Dean really hard for the fifth spot. Lemons wasn't able to get it done and by lap nine the top ten have settled in single file. It didn't stay that way for long. Lancaster takes his 25 machine and powers past Skewes.

On lap thirteen Dean also begins to pressure Skewes for fourth. They race side by side for several laps when Dean
 

finally seals the deal. By lap eighteen it was obvious that Skewes was dropping back a bit as Kelley Kingery takes his 57 machine around him for fifth. Meanwhile, Morris has moved up to 17th. At lap 22, Morris moves to the low side and begins to slow on the track. There is something dragging under the car sending a rooster tail of sparks from behind it. On lap 27 Morris is Black Flagged and his night is done.

By lap 40 your top five is Looney, Boswell, Lancaster, Dean and Kingery. It is also obvious that rain is on the way. While things were pretty much single file up front for a long time there was a lot of racing back in the pack. Ramsey has also started to make his move toward the front. On lap 83 the sprinkles of rain have started to fall. Ramsey has moved up from his eighth starting spot to fourth as he had passed Kingery and Dean.

The caution flies on lap 95 as the 36 machine of Craig Stallard goes for a spin down the back stretch. Looney still leads the field followed by Boswell, Lancaster, Ramsey and Dean. Ramsey had begun to pressure Lancaster for third and is showing that he has a car that is going to contend. The sprinkles continue to fall.

We all know that in racing, cautions breed cautions and Saturday night was no exception. The green flag fell on lap 100. In the middle of turns one and two Boswell sends Looney spinning into the outside wall. There was an enormous cloud of smoke and Looney's night is done, but not before he bounces his driving gloves off the side of Boswell's 72 machine under caution. Some call it a "bump and run." Some call it being "punted."

I guess it really depends on which end of the deal you are on. When the black flag flew for Boswell the fans around me went wild! We are now at lap 109 and still under caution. All of the excitement put Lancaster out front followed by Ramsey, Dean, Kingery and Lemons Jr. Boswell was forced to restart at the rear and we finally saw the green again at lap 112.

The caution flies again on lap 114 as the 30 car of Jason Merriman spins down the front stretch and hits the inside wall. The top five remain the same and we get the green again at lap 120. Dean, Lemons and Kingery are battling hard for the third spot but the caution flies again on lap 124 as the 36 of Stallard again spins in turns three and four. The top five are still Lancaster, Ramsey, Dean, Kingery and Lemons.

We get the green flag again on lap 129 and Kingery wastes no time getting Dean loose and powers by him in turn two. Lemons will follow him and drop Dean back to fifth. Boswell, Jeff Oleen and Kris Bowen race three wide behind the leaders. Boswell is now back up to seventh.

On lap 136 Dean nudges the rear bumper of Lemons and moves up beside him coming off of turn four. They race side by side for a lap or so but Lemons is able to keep up his momentum and hold off Dean in the outside lane. Ramsey is also applying pressure to Lancaster. After some minor contact, Ramsey and Kingery get by Lancaster dropping him back to third. This puts Ramsey out front followed by Kingery, Lancaster, Lemons and Dean.

The top five settle in single file and race toward the checkers. Behind them the action is heating up. On lap 145 Boswell is trying to get to the rear bumper of Andrew Thomas as he tries to charge back to the front. Immediately behind them Skewes and Oleen are racing side by side for eighth. When the checkers fall Ramsey is still out front followed by Kingery, Lancaster, Lemons and Dean. We could also see nature's fireworks in the distance. What an action packed race!

These boys know how to put on a show as they ran hard from the drop of the green flag. Thomas, Boswell, Skewes, Oleen and Bowen round out the top ten. I have seen a lot of races this year, both dirt and asphalt, this was definitely one of the best. Motor Mile is a first class facility and they always put on a good show for both the fans and the racers. Wayne Ramsey, driving for FDJ Motorsports, records his third win of the season while Philip Morris surprises everyone and leaves many more unanswered questions.
 
Finishing Order
1 - Wayne Ramsey #42
2 - Kelly Kingery #57
3 - Derrick Lancaster #25
4 - Tommy Lemons Jr #27
5 - Brandon Dean #5
6 - Andrew Thomas #96
7 - Richard Boswell #72
8 - Rusty Skewes #41
9 - Jeff Oleen #48
10 - Kris Bowen #80
11 - Clay Campbell #55
12 - Lynn Phoenix #14
13 - Adam Long #3
14 - Zeke Shell #97
15 - Craig Stallard #36
16 - Jason Merriman #30
17 - Dewayne Howard #37
18 - Jeff Martin #52
19 - Mike Looney #47
20 - Roger Parrish, Jr. #07
21 - Brad Foy #32
22 - Casey Holt #22
23 - Philip Morris #26
24 - Brianne Conrath #29